What If?
by Queen RAkal the Great
Summary: What if instead of Kagome and the others getting caught up in Naraku and Kikyo’s spell like they did, something entirely different happened? What if, instead of just cutting Kagome, Kikyo got rid of her – for good? Based on part of Episode 33 and later ep


**Author's Note:** Ok, I know that people will be wondering about my other story, but I kind of have writer's block, so I thought that this might help...Hopefully it does. I really enjoyed writing this story, and I hope you guys like reading it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha.

**Summery:** What if instead of Kagome and the others getting caught up in Naraku and Kikyo's spell like they did, something entirely different happened? What if, instead of just cutting Kagome, Kikyo got rid of her – for good? Based on part of Episode 33 and later episodes. Rated for language.

**What if?**

"Look out! It's a Trap!"

"Be careful!"

That was all that was heard before they were plunged into the forest of their worst fears.

And in a tree in the middle of this forest of fear, lay Kikyo. Appearing to be dead, she lay with her eyes closed, her lashes resting against her pale face. Her soul catchers swirled around with souls of the undead, making it an eerie scene. Around this tree was a pale blue barrier keeping everything from coming in while she controlled the fear spell.

"Kikyo!" Kagome cried out, searching for the un-dead priestess. 'Where could she be?' she thought, looking around the gloomy forest.

As she walked towards the tree holding said priestess, the barrier let her through. Kagome didn't even notice, preoccupied as she was with the woman in the tree.

"Kikyo! Kikyo! You're ok!" she cried out, running closer to the tree.

Kikyo's eyes opened, and she clutched her bow and arrows, which lay next to her. Picking them up, she rose with ethereal grace and turned to face her reincarnation. Her face was masked and no emotions were shown to the outside world. She selected an arrow and drew her bow, pointing it at the girl before her.

"We've…we've been looking for you…" Kagome started off strongly but ended up in almost a whisper. What…what was Kikyo doing? Kagome stopped moving, and looked at Kikyo with wide eyes. Why was she pointing the arrow at her?

Without any warning, the arrow was unleashed, grazing Kagome's left cheek. Kagome lifted a hand to her cheek, touching the cut. Surprise lingered in her eyes, as she truly hadn't thought that Kikyo would try to harm her.

The arrow hit the ground and blue light swarmed forth. A gigantic chasm grew, the ground disappearing down into the earth. Kagome snuck a look back, and gasped as she saw how close she was to the edge and the depth of the canyon. Looking back at Kikyo, Kagome saw what could only be described as a murderous glint in the older woman's eyes.

"Gahhhh!" yelled Miroku as he fought to get his wind tunnel under control. The wind was reaching high speeds, and he was sucking in everything around him. That's when he heard them. Kagome, Sango and Shippo were calling out for him, trying to find where he was.

"No!" he shouted in desperation, "Get away! Run away!"

Without any warning, they appeared before him and were sucked into the monster that was his own hand. Miroku cried out once again, in fear, because if he couldn't even stop his friends from being sucked in, what made him think that he could save himself?

"I'm…I'm sorry Kohaku…" cried Sango, her tears dripping down her face. She was straddling her brother, leaning over him with her katana in one hand. Her eyes were wild and afraid. She didn't want to have to do this, but she couldn't stand it any longer!

"I'm going to kill you and then kill myself," she told the boy, looking him in the eyes.

"Why Sango? Why do you have to kill me?" asked Kohaku, looking up at his sister with fear in his eyes. Why was his sister going to kill him? What had he done?

"Kikyo…" whispered Inuyasha, the fire around them blazing to new heights. He had been sent back in time some how, and now, here he was fallen by a sacred arrow, the sacred jewel on the ground between them. "It's all a trap! Don't do it!"

She raised her bow again, an arrow notched and ready to fire. Just as she was about to let the arrow fly, she collapsed to the ground in pain.

"Kikyo!" Inuyasha ran to her, supporting her. "Don't worry…I won't ever leave you again…I'll protect you…" Just as he finished saying that, he was surrounded in dark, a spotlight shining on him and one shining not too far away. 'I…I have to protect someone else?' he thought, wondering who in the world it could be.

Kagome's face appeared in front of him, smiling at him with joy. He pushed Kikyo away, drawing the Tetsusaiga.

"Where is she? What have you done with Kagome?" he growled at her, sweeping the sword around him in a fierce arch.

The illusion disappeared, leaving him in the real world. He looked around, testing the area with his senses when he heard Miroku calling out. Running quickly, he found the monk about to be stabbed through, and quickly saved him.

"Go find Sango!" Inuyasha snarled, snapping him out of his daze, "I'm going to find Kagome!"

And with that, he was off.

"K-kikyo…" Kagome whispered, staring at the priestess in shock.

"I sick of you interfering with my plans," the woman replied, her voice and face giving away nothing once again.

"What…what do you mean 'interfering'? I don't do anything!" Kagome cried, surprised and a little offended by what she was being accused of.

"You get in the way too often. So now," Kikyo stated, grabbing another arrow and stringing it, "I will get rid of this thorn in my side." As the last word was spoken she loosed the arrow, shooting it straight through Kagome's left shoulder. The girl grunted, clutching her shoulder in her right hand. Blood began to seep out of the wound, staining her school uniform red.

"What…what are you doing?" Kagome cried out, her eyes clenching shut with the pain. What had she done to deserve this?

"Like I said, I'm getting rid of the thorn in my side. And you, girl, are the thorn," she replied, notching another arrow and pointing it at the school girl. She quickly let it fly, the arrow imbedding itself through Kagome's right side, just below her ribs.

Kagome wobbled from the impact, and almost stepped over the edge of the enormous ditch. Just as she was about to loose her balance and fall down to her doom, brown, jagged tree roots caught her and twined their way around her body. The roots cut her all over, and one, especially pointed one stabbed into her back, planting itself firmly inside of her. Kagome cried out in pain, and blood trickled out of her mouth.

Kikyo smirked evilly and turned around, walking away from the prone body of Kagome.

Kagome's last conscious thought wasn't even one of revenge or hatred towards Kikyo. It was one of sorrow and regret.

'Inuyasha…. I didn't… get to… '

"Inuyasha! Where are you?" yelled Miroku, cupping his hands around his mouth to let the sound carry further. Just where was that half-demon anyways? Miroku knew of course that he was out searching for Kagome but shouldn't he have found her already? 'Oh well,' he thought, eying Sango's swaying hips. He reached a hand out and…

"Pervert!" Sango screamed, turning around and slapping him across the face. Her own face was a bright red, embarrassed that he would even think about doing that when Kagome and Inuyasha were still missing. "How could you!"

"But Sango!" he whined, "It's the hand! It's cursed!"

Sango didn't even bother to reply, turning her head back towards the direction she was walking in. As she was about to start again, something caught her eye to the side of her. Blocked almost by the trees she could see what looked like a mountain made out of tree roots. On top of this mountain lay a figure. A figure that looked a lot like…

Miroku, who had been talking the whole time, almost ran into Sango when she stopped abruptly in front of him. "Sango?" he questioned, frowning when she didn't reply. Noticing that she was looking off to the side of the path, he turned to look as well. There behind a few thick trees was a slight clearing and a…a mountain?

Without warning, Sango threw her self towards this sight, breaking through the tiny wood.

"Wait Sango!" he yelled, running to catch up to her. Just as he himself broke through the trees, he saw Sango's body being repelled by a blue barrier. "Sango!" he cried out, rushing towards her.

But Sango was already getting up, tears trailing down her face, tugging her boomerang with her. Swinging it like a hammer, she forced it onto the barrier, willing it to break underneath her attempts. She tried and tried, and finally on her third attempt, the barrier broke, revealing to Miroku what had gotten Sango so upset.

There on what he had thought was a mountain, but turned out to be a twisted spear of tree roots, was Kagome. Her bloody and battered body lay draped upon the roots. Her long, ebony hair was sprayed around her head, and her eyes were closed to the world. She looked and appeared to be dead.

Sango, seeing the image before her rushed towards Kagome, but stumbled and fell. Not even trying to get up again, Sango began to sob uncontrollably into her hands.

"No…No!" She screamed, pounding her fists into the ground.

"Kagome…" Miroku whispered, walking towards Sango instinctively. Crouching down beside her, he gathered her into his arms and rocked her back and forth silently. All that could be heard in the small clearing was Sango's heart wrenching sobs.

"I'll go get…Kagome…" Miroku whispered, unable to keep the waver from his own voice. Kagome had been so full of life…what had she done to deserve this end?

Rising to his feet, he turned and walked to the roots. Scaling them easily, although the sharp points tore at his robes every now and then, he reached Kagome's body and carefully extracted her from the roots. He descended just as carefully with Kagome cradled gently in his arms.

"I'm sorry Sango," he whispered to her when he reached her place on the ground. "She…she…doesn't seem to be breathing…" His voice cracked halfway through his statement, and he himself broke down. Kagome had been so full of life. She brought happiness to everyone around her. How were they to tell Shippo that he had lost his mother yet again? And her family…how was Inuyasha going to tell her family that she had died here? Inuyasha…how was he going to take the death of this girl who had set him free?

Miroku just hugged Kagome's body closer with one arm, his tears slowly falling from his violet eyes and circled his other around Sango. She had calmed down not to long ago, although she was still muttering something about how Inuyasha was 'so stupid.'

'Why…?'

"Grrr…."

He snarled as he ran through the dark forest, dodging tree after tree. Where the fuck was she? He couldn't smell her sweet vanilla scent anymore and was it just him or was it getting darker?

'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck..._fuck_,' he chanted to himself. How could he have forgotten about Kagome? How could he have been so stupid! He should have remembered! He jumped through the trees and onto the top of the homemade cliff. He spotted Miroku and Sango sitting in front of a bunch of roots.

"What the hell are you guys doing?" He snarled, walking up to them with his arms crossed against his chest, "You should be out looking for Kagome and not cuddling like some love-sick couple!"

Miroku, shifted slightly, lifting his face towards Inuyasha.

'What…What the hell?' Inuyasha took a step backwards in shock at the tears streaming down the monk's face. What had happened? He quickly scanned him and the demon slayer, but could find no injuries. In fact, Sango looked as though she was sleeping.

"We already found Kagome…" Miroku whispered, tilting his head back down towards his lap. Directing his eyes down as well, he saw a glimpse of green, white and black.

"K-Kagome…?" Inuyasha whispered, his eyes growing wide. He took a hesitant step forward, placing himself in front of the monk, and crouched down.

It was Kagome. She was…she was…

"She's…" Miroku's voice broke before he gained control of it again, "We found her on those roots behind me…she wasn't…she's…" Miroku couldn't bring himself to say it.

"No…." Inuyasha whispered. "No….she…she isn't…she – she can't be!"

Miroku could only nod and clutch the sleeping Sango closer. Who knew that this girl from the future could tie them together so tightly that when she was gone, everyone would feel the loss?

"Who?" snarled Inuyasha, fighting to keep his demon side in check. It was screaming to be let loose, to kill who ever did this to this vibrant and beautiful girl. This girl who had never done a mean thing in her life.

Miroku just shook his head and sighed, "The only clues we have are these arrows." He motioned to the two arrows protruding from Kagome's shoulder and side. Inuyasha's heart sank, as he looked at those arrows. Only one person could have done this…

"Kikyo…"

"Yes Inuyasha, It was I."

Inuyasha turned around to see Kikyo standing upright, her black hair unbound and swirling around her body. She looked like a goddess, as innocent as can be. But Inuyasha knew better.

"How...How could you!?" he spat at her, curling his hands into fists, to prevent himself from lashing out at his one time love. How could she take away the one thing that made him happy in life?

"I had to Inuyasha." Kikyo simply stated, ignoring the monk and demon slayer. "She was in the way."

"In the way!" he almost shouted, "In the fucking way of what!"

"In the way of our happiness."

"What fucking happiness?"

"You would never come with me to hell when she was alive. She prevented you from leaving this earth with me, she prevented our happiness."

"If I wouldn't go to hell with you before, what makes you think that I will go to fucking hell with you now?" Inuyasha yelled at her, shaking with fury. That was what this was all about? She killed Kagome, the most innocent, pure being he had ever known, because she wanted his happiness.

Kikyo looked taken back, as though she hadn't considered that he would say no.

"You aren't thinking about my happiness anymore," he whispered, covering his eyes with his bangs. His hands clenched causing his claws to rip into his skin. The blood dripped down and pooled onto the ground. His head flew up when he heard a faint sound. He saw her pointing a glowing arrow at his chest.

"You will go to hell with me!" she screamed at him, fury in her usually emotionless eyes.

"No!" he snarled back, flexing his claws.

Kikyo couldn't take it anymore. She had removed the obstacle that stood in the way between Inuyasha coming with her to hell but still he wouldn't come! With a fluid motion she shot the arrow straight at Inuyasha's heart, and waited for the sound of it ripping through flesh to greet her ears.

It never came.

Instead of passing through his heart, the arrow was snapped in half by lengthened claws. Inuyasha's eyes were blood red, and yet, a ring of gold circled his pupil. Purple stripes slashed across his cheeks and long fangs hung from his mouth. Inuyasha had turned full demon.

"We've been here before haven't we Kikyo?" chuckled Inuyasha, his fangs protruding menacingly. "You just tried to seal me yet again, but I won't allow you to do it again. Never again will I be pinned to a tree."

"You're…you're…." Kikyo whispered, her hand covering her mouth in shock. "You're a monster!"

"I am not a MONSTER!" he screamed, her words sending him over the edge. Before anyone could acknowledge the act, he had flown at Kikyo slicing her in half with his claws.

"You…you…" she choked out, trying to keep her piece of soul from leaving her body.

"I am Inuyasha. I am not a monster. I am Inuyasha," he stated, bending over her still form as the life seeped out of her.

Miroku just stares at Inuyasha. Unlike the other times when he lost control of himself and changed to full demon, the Tetsusaiga was at his side. It meant that he had kept some of his rationality. He shifted his attention to the girl in his lap when he felt her squirm slightly in his grasp. Her body was glowing a soft pink, as the missing piece of her soul rejoined. His eyes widened as he saw her chest rise slowly and painfully. She appeared to be miraculously mending.

Inuyasha punched the ground as hard as he could, sending little tremors throughout the ground. Kneeling, his body began to tremble, and he changed back. Tears began to seep from his golden eyes and he did nothing to stop them. He had just killed Kikyo.

"Inuyasha," he heard Miroku whisper, as though in awe of something. He turned around ready to bite the monk's head off, when he saw that his attention wasn't on him, but Kagome. He crawled over to see what was going on, when he noticed that her chest was moving. She was breathing.

"Kagome," he whispered, unable to take his eyes off of her.

Her eyes fluttered open.

'Where…where am I?' she thought confused. 'Am...Am I dead?' She looked up and saw Miroku crying. Why was he crying? Had something happened? She tilted her head to the side and saw Inuyasha gaping at her, tears running down his own face. She couldn't help her self.

She gasped.

This seemed to shake the hanyou out of his daze and he grabbed her from Miroku's grasp and held her tightly.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" she whispered, "I…I can't breathe when you do that…"

"Sorry," he mumbled into her hair, loosening his grasp on her slightly. He lifted his head away from her hair and looked her in the eyes before kissing her soundly on the mouth.

'Wow…' was all that Kagome could think as his lips moved over hers.

"Never," he whispered to her, after lifting his lips off of hers, "never do that to me again."

"Do what?" she asked, confused still from that unexpected kiss.

"Make me think that you are dead…" he whispered, a tear trickling down his cheek.

"I won't…I promise…" she whispered back, surprised that he was being so open with her. She wiped his tears away gently with her thumb.

"Um…sorry to ruin the moment but…can someone tell me why I hurt everywhere? And what happened?" She winced as her shoulder and side stung.

Miroku walked over to her, with her first aid kit in hand.

"We thought you were dead," he stated simply, beginning to clean her wounds as she sat in Inuyasha's lap. He had rested Sango on the ground, where Kilala was nearby, opting not to wake her.

"Dead…?" she whispered, her eyes widening and then closing in pain as he put antiseptic on one of her deeper wounds.

"Yes, do mind filling us in on what happened?" queried Miroku, bandaging her up.

"I remember entering the forest and not being able to find you guys…but I did find Kikyo…" she ended on a softer note, remembering what Kikyo had done to her. She didn't want to be the bringer of bad news. She knew Inuyasha would be upset as it was that she had gotten in trouble _again_.

"What happened next?" asked Inuyasha, surprising her.

She just gaped at him, not believing that he was actually asking her what had happened between her and Kikyo. "I…I…I talked to her and she…she…" Kagome couldn't continue on. It felt as though she was telling on the priestess even though she had tried to kill her.

"Kagome –" Miroku began but was cut off by Inuyasha.

"We need to know wench."

"She tried to kill me and almost succeeded it seems," she whispered softly, bowing her head down to hide her eyes. She didn't want to see Inuyasha at this moment in time. He would be…frustrated. Namely with her more than anyone else.

"I know…" he stated simply, placing a clawed hand under chin, lifting it so as to look in her eyes.

"You…"

"Yes, I know." He stated simply again. "She appeared afterwards to us, trying to drag me into hell.."

Kagome tried to remove her eyes from his when he said that. She had stopped him from joining Kikyo in hell again and didn't want to see the hurt in his eyes. He wouldn't let her escape his penetrating gaze though so she shut her eyes.

"…I didn't want to go."

Her eyes flew open and blue orbs met golden ones.

"W-Why…you…"

"She killed you. Or at least, she believed she had killed you," he shut his eyes in pain, "I couldn't take that. I didn't want to go before, and I definitely didn't want to go after she had 'removed the obstacle in our way'."

"Inuyasha…" she whispered, unable to take her eyes off of the half-demon before her. She had never seen him open up so much to her before. Had her being believed to be dead really caused this to happen?

"Kagome…she's…she's gone…." He whispered, pushing his face into the side of her neck.

"Gone…?" repeated Kagome confused. What did he mean 'gone'?

Miroku clarified things as Inuyasha seem to hear her.

"Inuyasha turned full demon, after being almost sealed again, and as he couldn't take that she called him a monster, he killed her…."

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise. Kikyo had called him a monster? She had tried to pin him to a tree again? Inuyasha…Inuyasha had killed her…?

"Oh Inuyasha…" she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes."I'm so sorry you had to do that…"

He just sighed. "I had to."

"No…you didn't…I –"

"Yes. I should have done it when she first was resurrected."

And it was left at that.

He pulled her closer into his embrace, and Kagome gladly allowed him to do so. Miroku was soon forgotten, and he moved towards where Sango sat, to wake her and fill her in on what had occurred.

Miroku sighed. Things had been rough, but now…now things wouldn't be so bad with Kikyo gone. Maybe even those two stubborn fools would finally admit they had feelings for each other.

He smiled, and set about waking up the slayer in his own personal way.

"PERVERT!!"

**A/N:** Read and Review!


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